The Stormers survived a scrappy encounter at DHL Stadium to beat the Dragons 29-21 to move up to second on the URC log. A brace from Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu helped secure the bonus point. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
The Stormers banked five crucial URC log points in Cape Town on Sunday afternoon to climb to second place on the points ladder, but they were unimpressive in beating the Dragons 29-21, leaving a mountain of tries out on the DHL Stadium pitch.
The Stormers were untidy from the opening exchanges, with a couple of early handling errors releasing pressure on the Dragons. Almost inevitably, on a beautiful early autumn afternoon in the Cape, it was golden boy Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu who superbly opened the scoring when he scythed through the defence and accelerated to the posts.
The momentum leading to the score was engineered by old warhorse Deon Fourie, who was a lively participant.
The flyhalf had his second in the 17th minute when scrumhalf Imad Khan darted around a ruck in the Dragons’ 22; Feinberg-Mngomezulu followed and drifted through a gap for the try. But the home team did not have it all their own way, and towering lock Seb Davies cruised through an aching gap in the close-quarter defence for a soft try.
The Stormers cried that defenders had been obstructed, but the try stood. Instead, the home team should have looked at themselves for spilling the ball at the other end of the field, which led to the pressure from the Dragons.
The Welshmen could have had a second a minute later had it not been for a speedy cover tackle by Feinberg-Mngomezulu. The men from Newport are second-bottom of the URC ladder, but they are better than that position suggests. Most of their losses have been close affairs, and the manner in which they commanded the second quarter suggested the Stormers were in for a tough second half.
The first half ended with the Dragons on heavy attack, and it was Fourie who saved the day when he found a way to stop a maul. The 39-year-old was at it again early in the second half, winning a turnover penalty at a ruck for Feinberg-Mngomezulu to extend the lead to 17-7.
But elementary mistakes continued, including Damian Willemse attempting a "chicken-wing" pass to an unmarked supporter — and messing it up — when a normal pass would have done the job. The Stormers had a great scoring opportunity after a Feinberg-Mngomezulu penalty attempt was dropped in front of the Dragons’ posts. From the ensuing and dominant scrum, Evan Roos seemed to be going over, but the ball was dislodged forward out of his arms.
The squandered chances continued, with Leolin Zas scorning support runners outside him and going alone, only to be caught by the defence. Finally, in the 50th minute, the third try materialised when scrum pressure from the Stormers produced a fumble at the back of the Dragons' scrum. Roos pounced on the loose ball, and this time there would be no stopping him.
But the roar from the big crowd was quickly silenced when Dragons flanker Thomas Young wriggled over from close quarters. It was 24-14 with 25 minutes to play. Dan du Plessis ran a superb angle off a line-out, but when he was tackled just short of the line, the Stormers were not good enough to finish it off.
Wandisile Simelane, on the wing for Seabelo Senatla, made his own luck when he chipped over his opposite number, gathered and scored the crucial bonus-point try. Feinberg-Mngomezulu slipped as he was about to kick the conversion, leaving the score at 29-14 as the fourth quarter began.
Rio Dyer was denied a spectacular try when a diving Feinberg-Mngomezulu somehow got his hand to the ball in the in-goal area after the Dragons wing had kicked ahead. But two minutes later, Dyer got it right when he came in from the blind-side wing off a line-out to slip clean through for his team’s third try.
Stormers 29
Tries: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2), Evan Roos, Wandisile Simelane; Conversions: Feinberg-Mngomezulu (3); Penalty: Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
Dragons 21
Tries: Seb Davies, Rio Dyer, Thomas Young; Conversions: Angus O’Brien (3).